From Possible to Probable

Anything is possible.

I love this idea. It opens up our imaginations for what could be. So many people live with self-limiting beliefs. But then there’s a group of us who genuinely believe that (almost) anything is possible. We have faith and confidence. And we have all kinds of ideas. This makes us feel like we’re winning. While believing so much is possible is necessary, we must go beyond this belief.

Success doesn’t come from believing anything is possible. Success comes when you are able to turn possibilities into probabilities.

It’s possible for you to start a business.

It’s possible for you to lose twenty pounds.

It’s possible for you to have a great marriage.

It’s possible for you to write a book.

It’s possible for you to become a more present parent.

It’s possible for you to purchase your first home.

I hope you're somewhat encouraged at this point. But here’s the big question that can help us discover something even better:

How do you turn your possibilities into probabilities?

Sort through all of your ideas and pick 2-3 that you’re actually going to execute on. 

Have you ever met the idea man or the idea woman? Notice I didn’t say the “ideal” man or woman, though I know some of you are looking for that person. The “idea” man or woman is now easy for me to spot. They give me a new idea every single day. But when I observe their life, I notice they aren’t executing on any of their new ideas. It reminds me of Acts 17:21, “All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.”

What are a couple of ideas you’ve had for a while, but you haven’t done anything with yet? 

Do something every day that makes your end goal more likely to be accomplished.

When we’re trying to turn possibilities into probabilities, it’s going to take time. But it’s also going to take doing something with it every single day. You can’t lose twenty pounds today, but you can start tracking your food or begin a new exercise routine. You can’t start a business today, but you can begin to research the market for businesses like the one you want to start. You might not have a perfect marriage by the time you go to bed tonight, but you can decide to speak kindly to your spouse.

Be realistic about how long it’s going to take.

When we begin to execute our ideas, we want it to happen overnight. The bigger the project, the longer it’s going to take. I’m currently leading our church to own property in San Francisco. We’ve been working on this for almost three years and we probably have a number of years left before we’re property owners. It also took me multiple years to write my upcoming book, Bring It Out: How to Cultivate the Unique Gifts and Assignments You’ve been Given.

We forget the sowing and reaping principle that God has built into the fabric of our universe. Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Don’t grow weary in doing what it’s going to take. There is a harvest coming if you don’t give up. 

I can’t wait to see what possibilities you turn into probabilities.